WESTERLO — Kenneth Mackey Sr., who has been a town judge for eight years, says, “It’s the most exciting job I’ve ever had.”

Mackey, who is 62, has worked for three decades as a welder at Hannay Reels and has an equally long commitment to the ambulance squad, which he captains.

WESTERLO — William Bichteman says the small things — not just “the big-ticket items” — are important to a town.

WESTERLO — Richard Filkins, a Republican, is making his first run for office, seeking a seat on the Westerlo Town Board.

“I’m trying to get more people aware of what’s going on in town,” he said of his reason for running. “I want to get more people to meetings, so they know how their money is being spent.”

WESTERLO — “If I do get the honor of being re-elected — and I consider it an honor and a privilege — I’d like to continue the good work the town board is doing,” said Democrat Joseph Boone. “We have to remain vigilant in keeping spending where it needs to be.”

WESTERLO — “I’m looking for a little bit of change in the town,” said Republican Kevin Flensted of his reason for running for a seat on the Westerlo Town Board.

He first ran two years ago, motivated, as he is now, by making the government more transparent. He was narrowly defeated in a four-way race for two seats.

After winning a town board seat in 2015, Westerlo Republicans are stressing transparency as the two Democratic incumbents on the town board run on their records. Both of the challengers favor moving to full-value assessment.

Archaeologists interpret history not with proof but with a preponderance of evidence, says Michael Lucas, curator of historical archeology for the New York State Museum.

Albany County deaths from heroin overdoses have doubled, according to Sheriff Craig Apple. “We’re more likely to maintain sobriety when we receive support from society,” the sheriff said at a Sept. 13 forum. “I was a lock-’em-up guy 10 years ago. We lost."

Christopher Beckmann is saving a piece of local agrarian history by making a Civil-War era barn into his home.

In the Democratic primary on Tuesday, Victoria Plotsky, making her first run for office, on a platform of reform, soundly defeated the incumbent representing the 38th District in the Albany County Legislature.